Learn Hardcore Malay: Saya perlukan tenaga yang cukup untuk bersukan, jadi saya makan sayur dan buah. - I need enough energy to do sports, so I eat vegetables and fruit.

It translates to "I need enough energy for playing sports, so I eat vegetables and fruits." The sentence explains that the speaker requires sufficient energy for engaging in sports and, as a result, chooses to eat vegetables and fruits.

Why is the verb perlukan used instead of perlu?

In Malay, when a verb is followed by a direct object—as in this case with tenaga (energy)—the form perlukan is used to clearly indicate that something is being needed. If no direct object were mentioned, one might simply say perlu. The use of perlukan here emphasizes that the speaker needs a specific thing: enough energy.

What role does the word yang play in the phrase tenaga yang cukup?

Yang functions as a relative pronoun that links the noun tenaga (energy) to its qualifier cukup (sufficient/enough). It’s equivalent to saying “that is” or “which is” in English, forming the description “energy that is enough.”

What does bersukan mean and how is it constructed?

Bersukan means "to play sports" or "to engage in sports." It is formed by adding the prefix ber- to the root sukan (sports), a common way in Malay to indicate participation or involvement in an activity.

What is the function of jadi in this sentence?

Jadi serves as a conjunction meaning "so" or "therefore." It connects the first part of the sentence (the need for energy) to the second part (the action of eating vegetables and fruits), indicating a cause-and-effect relationship.

Why are sayur and buah used without plural markers, and do they imply plural meanings?

In Malay, nouns do not change form for the plural. Sayur (vegetable) and buah (fruit) can refer to both singular and plural items, depending on the context. Here, they imply "vegetables" and "fruits" without the need for additional pluralization.

How does the word order in this Malay sentence compare to English?

The sentence follows a similar Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) pattern as English. Saya (I) is the subject, perlukan (need) is the verb, and tenaga yang cukup untuk bersukan (enough energy for sports) is the object phrase. The conjunction jadi (so) then introduces the result clause, mirroring the natural flow of a cause and effect sentence in English.